Vegetables protected from the harsh winter weather and the mouths of hungry birds and insects are growing tall and plentiful thanks to a Domegrown greenhouse.
The solar geomestic dome greenhouse designed by Gavin McArthur and marketed by wife Michelle, is a prototype of a kitset dome being sold to schools.
Tuturumuri School
is the first school in New Zealand to buy the dome, which was finished being assembled at the weekend.
Mrs McArthur said temperatures in the dome can be as high as 40C, making it perfect for growing fruits such as bananas that only grow in tropical temperatures.
Mr McArthur designed the dome more than 10 years ago and, by February of this year, the dome skeleton was built.
Strawberries, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, beans and bananas are all grown in the dome.
Some that are already sprouting produce will be transplanted to Tuturumuri School so they have something to make a good start.
Mrs McArthur said the sun reflects off a foil-like covering on one side of the dome on to water-filled heat banks.
The water heats up, warming up the dome, which is also double-insulated to make sure no heat escapes.
On the day Wairarapa had a -7C frost, Mrs McArthur said the dome soil temperature was 14C, proving even frost does not affect the dome temperature hugely.
The McArthur's dome is eight metres high, while the dome at Tuturumuri is only five-and-a-half metres high but both do the same job.
Mrs McArthur said the vegetables grown in the dome taste better than anything purchased from the supermarket and they grow faster.
She said she planted radish seeds, which were sprouted after a day-and-a-half and able to be eaten in salads after four weeks.
The McArthurs held a dome open day yesterday and today, to show everyone what can be done using a dome.
